All Locations > Utah > Southwest Utah > Zion NP > Kolob Canyon > N Fork of Taylor > Tucupit

Pain Chamber

Name: Pain Chamber
Rating: 4.0

5.11d YDS 7a French 24 Ewbanks VIII UIAA 25 ZA E5 6a British

Routes in Tucupit

L › R R › L A › Z

	Moped Man T 5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b
	Morphology T 5.12+ 7c 28 IX 27 E6 6b
	Pain Chamber T 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a
	Skeleton Key, The T 5.13a 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E6 6c
	Tucupit nova T 5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c
	Tucupit occidentalis T 5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b
	West Face of Tucapit T 5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c R

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Type:	Trad, 475 ft (144 m), 4 pitches, Grade III
FA:	Brandon Gottung and Karl Kvashay. FFA: Brandon Gottung and Ethan Newman
Page Views:	3,236 total · 35/month
Shared By:	Brandon Gottung on Aug 20, 2016
Admins:	Andrew Gram, Nathan Fisher, Perin Blanchard, GRK, D C Page Updates (admin only)

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Explore this route in 3D

Use onX Backcountry to explore the terrain in 3D, view recent satellite imagery, and more. Now available in onX Backcountry Mobile apps! For more information see this post.

Access Issue: Seasonal Raptor Closures ***** RAIN AND WET ROCK ***** The sandstone in Zion is fragile and is very easily damaged when it is wet. Holds rip off and climbs have been and will continue to be permanently damaged due to climbers not respecting this phenomenon. After a heavy storm the rock will remain wet, sometimes for several days. PLEASE DO NOT CLIMB IN ZION during or after rain. A good rule of thumb is that if the ground near your climb is at all damp (and not powdery dry sand), then do not climb. There are many alternatives (limestone, granite, basalt, and plastic) nearby. Seasonal Raptor Closures Details

Closures in effect March 1
Check for current Raptor closure conditions at:

nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/…

Feel The Pain

The Pain Chamber is an incredibly beautiful, brutal route. Fun face climbing accesses the clean crack system on the left side of the giant arrowhead-shaped pillar that the route tunnels behind and summits.

P1: 5.11a. 7m. Left rising traverse past three bolts to a comfortable exposed ledge below the immaculate left-facing corner.

P2: 5.11d. 50 m. "May the Fours Be With You." Good progress on hand and fist jams leads to 20 meters of vicious off-fists finally opening up into a squeeze that feels cruel at the end of an exhausting lead. Belay at the good stance in the dark slot on #2 camalots.

P3: 5.10c. 45 m. A fun seamed-out flare (decent fixed pin and micro gear) leads up into a stunning tunneling passage to a cool 5-inch gap feature and a bolt to clip. Belay at some fixed stoppers deep in the chamber. Headlamp useful at belay.

P4: 5.11b. 40 m. First climb up and into the darkness following finger and hand cracks then squeeze, slither and squirm out into the light. One bolt on the outside protects the wildly exposed, awesome exit moves. Finish up the final grueling 6 opening to 12-inch corner to the top of the pillar.

Implements

I recommend a full single set from blue ballnut to blue big bro, with double #2s and four to eight #4s (or #1 bigbros). A selection of tiny stoppers is useful. Big Bros of all sizes are great to have but a #9 VG makes the blue and green unnecessary. Many bolts have been added since the FA, making it a well-equipped outing.

Location

See approach for Tucupit occidentalis. From T.occidentalis, walk down the broken ledge systems towards the north face. There is a Rhus shrub to rap from down to the big bivy ledge or downclimb. Another rappel from the tree to the ledge with a small pillar. Tunnel through the pillar to pitch 1.

Descent

From two-bolt anchor on the summit, rappel 45 meters down into the 2-bolt anchor on Tucupit nova (opposite side of pillar from Pain Chamber) then 58 meters down to the nice bivy ledge.

It is possible to bail from the fixed-stopper anchor on top of the third pitch by rapping through the tunnel about 30 meters to that same 2-bolt anchor on Tucupit nova.